The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has seen its Tyche satellite blast off into space to provide crucial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
On 16 August 2024, SpaceX launched the Transporter-11 rideshare mission from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Using its reusable Falcon 9 rocket, more than 100 satellites were blasted into low-Earth orbit for government and commercial outfits.
Among these satellites was the Tyche, the MoD’s first fully-owned satellite to provide timely space-based imagery and videos of the Earth’s surface in support of the British Armed Forces.
Commissioned by UK Space Command – a joint command of the British Armed Forces responsible for space operations, space workforce and space capability – the £22m contract was awarded to Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd (SSTL) in Guildford.
SSTL designed and built the 160kg, washing machine-sized Tyche satellite with the capability to collect imagery at optical wavelengths – in the same light we sense with our...